Surrey vs Langley in 2026: Prices, Property Tax and the SkyTrain, Compared

A typical detached house in Langley benchmarks at $1,471,100. Across the City of Surrey the same benchmark house is $1,386,200. That's an $84,900 gap, and Langley is the pricier of the two for every property type, not just houses.

That surprises people who still think of Langley as the cheap option further out. It hasn't been for a while. Langley also held its value better through the last three years, and its homes are selling faster relative to what's listed. Surrey's edge is choice and a lower entry price, especially for apartments, plus a lower property tax rate than either Langley.

Below is how the two compare on price, on how fast homes are moving, on what sellers are asking right now, on property tax, and on the SkyTrain line that will connect them. Benchmark prices are from FVREB's monthly packages (latest: September 2026, released October 5); asking prices are from EstateBlock's listings (October 22 city data, October 16 neighbourhood data), and they're asking prices of active listings, not sale prices.

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package (MLS® HPI benchmarks; City of Surrey combined excludes White Rock); City of Surrey and Township of Langley 2026 tax rates.

First, which Surrey and which Langley

Comparisons go wrong right here, so it's worth thirty seconds.

Langley is two municipalities: the Township of Langley (Willoughby, Walnut Grove, Murrayville, Brookswood, Fort Langley, Aldergrove) and the much smaller City of Langley in the middle of it. They have separate councils and separate property tax rates. The Fraser Valley board (FVREB) reports them together as one area, "Langley", and so does EstateBlock's Langley page.

Surrey is one city, but FVREB splits it into North Surrey, Central Surrey, Cloverdale and South Surrey, and reports South Surrey together with White Rock, which is its own city. The board also publishes a "City of Surrey combined" line that leaves White Rock out. When I compare Langley to "Surrey" below, I'm using that combined line. When I go area by area, the South Surrey numbers include White Rock.

One more trap: in FVREB's price index table, the area labelled "Surrey" means Central Surrey only, not the whole city. If you've seen a Surrey benchmark quoted somewhere that doesn't match mine, that's usually why.

Benchmark prices: Langley costs more for every type

• Langley
• City of Surrey (combined)

$0$500K$1.00M$1.50M$2.00M

DetachedTownhouseApartment

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package, City of Surrey combined (excludes White Rock) and Langley (City + Township) summaries.

Show the numbers

	Langley	City of Surrey (combined)
Detached	$1.47M	$1.39M
Townhouse	$803K	$759K
Apartment	$526K	$448K

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package. Surrey = City of Surrey combined.

• Down

Detached, Langley−6.7%Detached, Surrey−8.3%Townhouse, Langley−4.4%Townhouse, Surrey−6.6%Apartment, Langley−9.2%Apartment, Surrey−10.0%

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package. September 2025 benchmarks as revised in the 2026 package.

Show the numbers

Type and city	1-year change
Detached, Langley	−6.7%
Detached, Surrey	−8.3%
Townhouse, Langley	−4.4%
Townhouse, Surrey	−6.6%
Apartment, Langley	−9.2%
Apartment, Surrey	−10.0%

The premium is smallest on townhouses ($44,000, about 5.8%) and biggest, in percentage terms, on apartments (17.5%). On an apartment budget, $78,300 is real money: it's more than a 10% down payment on a Surrey apartment at the benchmark.

Both markets are falling, and Surrey is falling a bit faster for every type. Over the year to September, Surrey's detached benchmark dropped 8.3% against Langley's 6.7%. FVREB's chair put the board-wide detached benchmark at $460,000 below its March 2022 peak, and the board says the Fraser Valley has spent most of the last two years in a buyer's market.

• Langley
• City of Surrey (combined)

$1.35M$1.40M$1.45M$1.50M$1.55M$1.60M

$1.47M$1.39M

Oct 2025FebJunSep 2026

Source: FVREB monthly statistics packages, October 2025 to September 2026.

Show the numbers

	Langley	City of Surrey (combined)
Oct 2025	$1.55M	$1.51M
Nov	$1.54M	$1.50M
Dec	$1.51M	$1.48M
Jan 2026	$1.51M	$1.47M
Feb	$1.52M	$1.46M
Mar	$1.51M	$1.46M
Apr	$1.53M	$1.46M
May	$1.52M	$1.45M
Jun	$1.49M	$1.43M
Jul	$1.50M	$1.41M
Aug	$1.48M	$1.41M
Sep 2026	$1.47M	$1.39M

The gap has widened. In October 2025 Langley's detached benchmark was $38,800 above Surrey's. By September 2026 it was $84,900. Langley's line went sideways from January to May while Surrey's drifted lower.

Surrey is four markets, and South Surrey is the expensive one

South Surrey & White Rock$1.61MLangley$1.47MCloverdale$1.32MCentral Surrey$1.30MNorth Surrey$1.25M

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package, MLS® Home Price Index table. South Surrey includes White Rock.

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Area	Benchmark
South Surrey & White Rock	$1.61M
Langley	$1.47M
Cloverdale	$1.32M
Central Surrey	$1.30M
North Surrey	$1.25M

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package, MLS® Home Price Index table.

Split Surrey up and the picture changes. South Surrey and White Rock is the only area here where detached houses cost more than in Langley: $1,612,500 against $1,471,100. North Surrey, Central Surrey and Cloverdale all sit below Langley for houses, between $1,252,600 and $1,317,200.

The cheapest door into either city is a North Surrey apartment at $398,900, which is $127,000 below Langley's apartment benchmark. North Surrey is also the cheapest area for townhouses ($680,400). At the other end, South Surrey townhouses and apartments are close to Langley's, within $5,500 and $18,500.

So if the question is really "South Surrey vs Langley", you're comparing two similarly priced places, and the difference comes down to the house you want and where you work. If it's any other part of Surrey against Langley, Surrey is cheaper.

Three years and ten years: Langley held up better

• Down

Langley−9.6%Cloverdale−11.7%Central Surrey−18.8%North Surrey−20.1%South Surrey & White Rock−21.4%

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package, MLS® Home Price Index table.

Show the numbers

Area	3-year change
Langley	−9.6%
Cloverdale	−11.7%
Central Surrey	−18.8%
North Surrey	−20.1%
South Surrey & White Rock	−21.4%

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package, MLS® Home Price Index table (10-year change column).

Over three years Langley's composite benchmark fell 9.6%. Central Surrey fell 18.8%, North Surrey 20.1%, and South Surrey and White Rock 21.4%. Cloverdale, at −11.7%, behaved more like Langley than like the rest of Surrey.

The ten-year numbers tell a longer story. Detached houses in Langley and Cloverdale are both up about 57% on ten years ago. South Surrey and White Rock detached is up only 10.5%: it was already expensive in 2016, and the drop over the last three years erased much of the gain. Apartments rose the most in four of the five areas; Central Surrey apartments more than doubled (+116.3%). North Surrey was the exception, where townhouses (+83.3%) edged out apartments.

None of that tells you what happens next. Past changes don't predict future ones, and I'm not going to pretend they do. What it does tell you is where sellers have already taken a hit. In South Surrey, someone who bought a house in 2023 has likely lost more on paper than a Langley seller who bought at the same time, which can make them more motivated, or more stubborn.

How fast homes are selling

Source: my calculation from Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package, area summary pages (September sales divided by active listings). "All Surrey areas" is the four Surrey areas combined, including White Rock.

The sales-to-active ratio is the number of homes that sold in the month divided by the number for sale. FVREB describes a balanced market as a ratio between 12 and 20 per cent; below 12 leans toward buyers, above 20 toward sellers. The board applies that to the Fraser Valley as a whole. Applying it area by area, as I've done here, is my own rough read, and small samples (North Surrey had 5 townhouse sales) jump around month to month.

Even so, the pattern is clear. Langley sold 64 detached houses in September with 449 listed, a ratio of 14.3%. Across Surrey's four areas it was 176 sales against 1,921 listings, 9.2%. Langley townhouses, at 21.6%, were the busiest segment in either city. North and Central Surrey are below 12% for every type, which on FVREB's yardstick is buyer's-market territory.

What that means for an offer: in North or Central Surrey you have room to negotiate on price, conditions and dates. On a well-priced Langley townhouse you have less, and you may be one of several buyers looking at it.

What sellers are asking today

Benchmarks are a month old by the time they're published. EstateBlock's listing data is live, so here's what's on the market as of this morning. These are asking prices of active listings, not sale prices; they show what sellers want, which in this market is often more than they get.

Source: EstateBlock.com live listings, snapshot Oct 22, 2026. Asking prices of active listings, not sale prices. Days = median days on market of active listings. EstateBlock's Langley page covers the City and Township; White Rock has its own page.

Langley's median asking price for a house is $1,809,933, about 13% above Surrey's $1,599,997. That's a wider gap than the benchmark shows, and part of it is mix. EstateBlock's median asking price across all listings is over $2 million in Brookswood ($2,079,000), Salmon River ($2,169,800) and Fort Langley ($2,499,150) as of October 16, and those listings pull Langley's house median up. For condos, the two medians are within about a thousand dollars of each other.

The days-on-market column matches the sales ratios above. Langley townhouses have been listed a median 35 days against 52 in Surrey, and Langley houses 49 against 69. Surrey has about three times as many homes for sale overall (4,259 vs 1,413).

Source: EstateBlock.com live listings, snapshot Oct 22, 2026. Asking prices of active listings, not sale prices; neighbourhood pages for Willoughby Heights and Langley City, snapshot Oct 16, 2026 (all property types combined, asking prices).

About a quarter of listings in both cities have already cut their price, by roughly 6.5% on average. Sellers in both places are adjusting at about the same speed. Inside Langley, the spread is wide: Langley City's median asking price across all types is $549,999, and 32% of its listings have a cut. Langley City is also where the SkyTrain line ends, which I come back to below.

Property tax: three different bills

"Langley property tax" isn't one number. The Township of Langley and the City of Langley set their own rates, and Surrey sets a third. Here are the 2026 residential (Class 1) rates, all taxing authorities included, per $1,000 of assessed value.

Source: City of Surrey, 2026 property tax rates (municipal includes the roads and traffic levy); Township of Langley, 2026 tax rates (municipal includes library); City of Langley, 2026 tax rates. Township = Township of Langley; City = City of Langley. School tax is set by the province. Other = Metro Vancouver, BC Assessment and the Municipal Finance Authority.

Surrey$3,427Township of Langley$3,617City of Langley$4,207

Source: My calculation: 2026 total residential rate × 1,000, from the three municipal rate sheets above.

Show the numbers

Municipality	Tax
Surrey	$3,427
Township of Langley	$3,617
City of Langley	$4,207

On a $1,000,000 assessment, that's $3,427 in Surrey, $3,617 in the Township and $4,207 in the City of Langley. The City of Langley figure is $780 a year more than Surrey's, about $65 a month. Surrey also collects a $300 capital parcel tax per residential property (plus drainage parcel taxes) with the bill. Add the $300 and a $1,000,000 Surrey home pays $3,727, a little more than in the Township. Counting only the rates and that $300, the two cross at an assessed value of about $1.58 million: below that, the Township's rate-based bill is lower than Surrey's rate plus parcel tax; above it, Surrey's is lower. The school tax rate is slightly lower in Surrey (1.1348) than in both Langleys (1.1606).

Two caveats. Rates apply to assessed value, not price, and the same house will be assessed differently in each place. And the rates move every year: the Township approved a 3.97% increase for 2026, the City of Langley says residents will see 5.82%, and Surrey proposed 2.6% in its February budget. Both Langleys also bill utilities and some fees separately (the City's 2026 solid waste fee is $432).

If the home is your principal residence and assessed under $2,075,000 (a reduced grant applies above that, phasing out at about $2.19 million), you may qualify for the home owner grant, which brings the bill down. This is general information; confirm your own situation with an accountant or lawyer, and check the numbers against your municipality's notice. For a full rundown of how the bill works, see my post on Vancouver property tax, which also compares rates across Metro Vancouver.

The SkyTrain extension: 8 stations, late 2029

The Expo Line extension from King George Station to Langley City was renamed the Dave Barrett Extension on September 15, 2026. It runs about 16 km, mostly along Fraser Highway on an elevated guideway. The project site says it's expected in service in late 2029. The province says the trip from Langley City Centre to King George will take 22 minutes, more than 25 minutes faster than the current bus.

Source: Surrey Langley SkyTrain monthly status report, April 2026; project website; B.C. government, Sept 15, 2026.

As of the province's September 21 update, the guideway was about 65% complete and work was underway at all eight stations. The budget in the April status report was $5.996 billion. The province expects about 80,000 riders on an average weekday by 2050.

Six of the stations are in Surrey: Green Timbers, 152 Street, Fleetwood, Bakerview-166 Street, Hillcrest-184 Street and Clayton. Two are in Langley: Willowbrook and Langley City Centre. Bus exchanges are planned at Bakerview-166, Willowbrook and Langley City Centre.

My read on what it means: the people who benefit most are those who'll actually ride it, living within walking distance of a station in Fleetwood, Clayton, Willowbrook or Langley City and commuting toward Surrey City Centre or Vancouver. I wouldn't pay a premium today on the assumption that prices near stations will jump when it opens. Nobody can promise that, and three years is a long time to carry a bet. If you're buying near the line, buy something that works for you without the train, and treat the train as a bonus. Browse what's listed near the stations in Fleetwood, Clayton or Langley City.

Who each one suits

Townhouse buyers who can stretch: Langley. Langley townhouses had the highest sales-to-active ratio in either city in September (21.6%) and sit a median 35 days on the market. You'll pay about $44,000 more on the benchmark than in Surrey and have less room to negotiate. In exchange, you're buying in the segment that has held up best: Langley townhouses are down 7.5% over three years, less than any Surrey area.

Detached buyers on a budget: Surrey, outside South Surrey. North and Central Surrey detached benchmarks are $218,500 and $167,000 below Langley's, inventory is deep and those areas are firmly in buyer's-market territory. That's leverage. Use it: ask for a price that reflects comparable sales, not asking prices, and keep your subject conditions. If you're buying a house partly for a suite or extra units, check what the specific lot allows before you write the offer; my Bill 44 explainer covers the small-scale multi-unit rules.

First-time buyers after the lowest entry price: North Surrey apartments. At a $398,900 benchmark, it's the cheapest segment in either city by a wide margin. Read the strata minutes and the depreciation report before you remove subjects, especially in older buildings.

Buyers choosing between South Surrey and Langley: price isn't the deciding factor for townhouses or apartments; they're close. For houses, Langley is about $141,400 cheaper on the benchmark. South Surrey sellers have taken bigger losses over the last three years, which can work in your favour at the negotiating table.

Commuters to Vancouver or Surrey City Centre: today the Expo Line ends at King George, so neither Langley nor the Fraser Highway corridor has SkyTrain. From late 2029, the eight new stations will change that for the neighbourhoods around them. If you'll live within walking distance of one, the train may matter to you. If you won't, it probably won't much.

Whatever you choose, budget for more than the price. Property transfer tax, legal fees and inspections add up; my closing costs guide and the closing cost calculator do the math. To check what your income supports, see how much income you need to buy. First-time buyers can see how the FHSA and the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan stack toward a down payment. My Surrey and Langley pages have more on each city, and if you already own and are thinking of moving between the two, the home value estimator is a starting point. Comparing other suburbs? I did the same exercise for Burnaby vs Coquitlam. Listings: Surrey homes for sale and Langley homes for sale on EstateBlock.

FAQ

Is Langley more expensive than Surrey?

Yes, on average. In September 2026 Langley's benchmark was $1,471,100 for a detached house, $802,600 for a townhouse and $525,900 for an apartment, against $1,386,200, $758,600 and $447,600 for the City of Surrey combined (FVREB). South Surrey and White Rock is the exception: its detached benchmark, $1,612,500, is above Langley's.

Is property tax higher in Surrey or Langley?

The rate is higher in Langley. The 2026 residential rate per $1,000 of assessed value is 3.42731 in Surrey, 3.61686 in the Township of Langley and 4.2067 in the City of Langley. On a $1,000,000 assessment that's about $3,427, $3,617 and $4,207 before the home owner grant. Surrey also charges a $300 capital parcel tax, so at that value a Surrey home pays slightly more than one in the Township; the City of Langley is highest either way.

South Surrey vs Langley: which is cheaper?

For detached houses, Langley: its September 2026 benchmark was $1,471,100 against $1,612,500 for South Surrey and White Rock. For townhouses and apartments the two are close: South Surrey townhouses are slightly cheaper ($797,100 vs $802,600), and its apartments slightly pricier ($544,400 vs $525,900).

When will SkyTrain reach Langley?

The Dave Barrett Extension (formerly Surrey Langley SkyTrain) is expected to be in service in late 2029. It has eight stations from Green Timbers to Langley City Centre, and the province says the trip from Langley City Centre to King George Station will take 22 minutes.

Sources

1. Fraser Valley Real Estate Board: September 2026 statistics package (released Oct 5, 2026)
2. Fraser Valley Real Estate Board: October 2025 statistics package
3. Fraser Valley Real Estate Board: monthly packages November 2025 to August 2026 (Package202511 to Package202608)
4. City of Surrey: 2026 property tax rates
5. City of Surrey: proposed 2026 budget (Feb 24, 2026)
6. Township of Langley: 2026 tax rates (PDF)
7. Township of Langley: 2026 property tax newsletter (PDF)
8. City of Langley: 2026 property tax rates
9. City of Langley: 2026 property tax insert
10. Government of B.C.: Home owner grant (2026 threshold and phase-out)
11. Government of B.C.: Surrey Langley SkyTrain named the Dave Barrett Extension (Sept 15, 2026)
12. Government of B.C.: SkyTrain extension construction update (Sept 21, 2026)
13. Surrey Langley SkyTrain project website
14. Surrey Langley SkyTrain: monthly status report, April 2026 (PDF)
15. EstateBlock.com: Surrey live listings (snapshot Oct 22, 2026; asking prices)
16. EstateBlock.com: Langley live listings (snapshot Oct 22, 2026; asking prices)
17. EstateBlock.com: White Rock live listings (snapshot Oct 22, 2026; asking prices)
18. EstateBlock.com: Willoughby Heights listings (snapshot Oct 16, 2026; asking prices)
19. EstateBlock.com: Langley City listings (snapshot Oct 16, 2026; asking prices)
20. EstateBlock.com: Brookswood listings (snapshot Oct 16, 2026; asking prices)
21. EstateBlock.com: Salmon River listings (snapshot Oct 16, 2026; asking prices)
22. EstateBlock.com: Fort Langley listings (snapshot Oct 16, 2026; asking prices)